Systems administrator vs systems analyst

The differences between systems administrators and systems analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a systems administrator, becoming a systems analyst takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a systems administrator has an average salary of $77,156, which is higher than the $75,383 average annual salary of a systems analyst.

The top three skills for a systems administrator include linux, troubleshoot and windows server. The most important skills for a systems analyst are customer service, project management, and troubleshoot.

Systems administrator vs systems analyst overview

	Systems Administrator	Systems Analyst
Yearly salary	$77,156	$75,383
Hourly rate	$37.09	$36.24
Growth rate	5%	9%
Number of jobs	134,500	141,289
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	6

What does a systems administrator do?

Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures. They are responsible for installing, configuring, or updating network systems, software, and hardware. They also monitor the different systems and troubleshoot any issues that users may encounter. Systems administrators manage the access of users, ensure the security of the network, and address any challenges that users may have. They conduct repairs and routine maintenance to ensure that the systems in place are in the best shape.

What does a systems analyst do?

A systems analyst is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of technology systems and analyzing its efficiency for business operations and clients' needs. Systems analysts create specific modifications to operating systems and help design solutions and processes. Other tasks include managing the system's workflow, diagnosing and detecting malfunctions, performing troubleshooting, and assisting clients' with their concerns. A systems analyst must have excellent command with programming languages and the knowledge with the technology industry to understand systems' complexities and processes.

Systems administrator vs systems analyst salary

Systems administrators and systems analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Systems Administrator	Systems Analyst
Average salary	$77,156	$75,383
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $100,000	Between $58,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between systems administrator and systems analyst education

There are a few differences between a systems administrator and a systems analyst in terms of educational background:

	Systems Administrator	Systems Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Systems administrator vs systems analyst demographics

Here are the differences between systems administrators' and systems analysts' demographics:

	Systems Administrator	Systems Analyst
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between systems administrator and systems analyst duties and responsibilities

Systems administrator example responsibilities.

Used Jenkins to automate most of the build relate tasks.
Manage windows file servers, messaging, and SQL databases.
Lead the project which integrate internal DNS into the corporate LDAP infrastructure for end user host management prior to deployment.
Lead business-critical information security initiatives involving encryption of customer data.
Authore and maintain shell and Perl scripts to automate administration tasks for infrastructure management.
Configure & manage all switches and servers responsible for providing WLAN connectivity and authentication services.

Systems analyst example responsibilities.

Manage AS400 operations teams and provide training / end-user support as scheduled.
Lead a team of two developers who create various GUI report parameter screens and associate reports.
Write scripts (shell, Perl, AutoIt) to automate administrative tasks, troubleshooting, and disaster recovery operations.
Manage ticket resolution of 250/300 per month, within SLA and root cause analysis and defects tie back to development.
Design and build radiology information systems, as well as led multiple conversions and create documentation to support technology and workflow.
Manage and implement VMware infrastructure.

Systems administrator vs systems analyst skills

Common systems administrator skills

Linux, 7%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Windows Server, 6%
Database, 5%
Technical Support, 4%
PowerShell, 3%

Common systems analyst skills

Customer Service, 8%
Project Management, 5%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Java, 4%
C++, 4%
C #, 4%

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Systems Administrator vs Systems Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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